General

Simple question: what is the colour of the trousers of the chasseurs à cheval of the imperial guard on duty as escort to the emperor? Let's during 100 days war. Green or yellowish? I have found contraddicitng sources, though the majority says green. I just want to be sure. Thanks!

Some French cavalry could sometimes wear buff coloured leather breeches, these may be the yellowish trousers you have seen. But the buff breeches may be particular to the heavy cavalry, I'm not sure they are correct for Chasseurs a Cheval and most illustrations show green trousers.

Haythornethwaite and Digby Smith both say green and the site in the link below says that in parade uniform they had tight white breeches but this uniform was rarely worn. In campaign uniform they had green riding trousers. It says they might also have worn cheaper white or grey service dress overalls on campaign but being light cavalry they liked to cut a dash and prefered the green trousers. I would think this would be even more the case for the duty squadron who were ascorting The Emperor.

Osprey show a Chasseur 1805-14 on escort duty in deerskin trousers (buff). they also show this

Then we have a campaign painting of Friedland where they again have the deerskin breeches.

I then thought perhaps is a seasonal change and up pops a painting on campaign 1812.

From Osprey Men At Arms - 083 - Napoleon's Guard Cavalry.Two patterns of Hungarian breeches were worn, the one of yellow deerskin and one of green cloth, both of identical cut, very tight fitting and ending at mid-calf. The former variety were worn for full dress and the latter reserved for No. 2 dress. Those of green cloth were ornamented along the outer seams by a band of aurore wool lace which also served as decoration for the front flap, describing Hungarian knots. On the march generally and when on campaign, the chasseurs adopted overalls of varying patterns to save thos breeches from wear and tear. In the early years green overalls were commonly employed; reinforced ny black leather, with a scarlet band of lace down the outer seams, they opened latterally by means of 18 copper buttons. As of 1808 these were adapted to similar pairs with lace of aurore wool the length of the outer seams. Around 1811 a new variety appeared no longer reinforced with black leather............

Great stuff guys! Napoleon favored simple and functional garments for himself while on campaign, and it is quite possible that attitude extended to his personal guard. The sturdier buff trousers seem the most likely, especially the later we get.

Looking at the Osprey text in Fred's post and also at the other Haythornethwaite reference that I missed first time I looked , it seems that like the heavy cavalry the buckskin breeches were part of the full dress uniform. When on campaign green overalls were often worn to protect the breeches and later perhaps the overalls were worn as trousers without the breeches.

But as I said light cavalrymen liked to cut a dash so perhaps the duty squadron escorting The Emporer might just like to wear their fancy breeches.

One thing to consider is the figures you are using. The Buckskin breeches were breeches, not trousers so if your figures are not wearing hessian boots then they should certainly be wearing green overalls. If they are wearing hessian boots then you have the choice of buckskin full dress breeches or green No.2 dress breeches.

For the Waterloo campaign I think I would favour green overalls. Actually I didn't really have a choice, my Guard Chasseurs a Cheval are from the Revell set and are definately wearing the green overalls with black leather strapping.

Love you guys! Thanks a lot. Lot of food to chew you gave me. Need time to digest and make the right decision.

@Graeme. My figures are from the Italery French command set. Need to check what boot they are wearing. I admit my knowledge about Napoleonic uniform is very limited. And the vocabulary: not being English mother tongue does not help. But learning a lot thanks to you, guys.

Graeme wrote:The Osprey picture you showed us had two Chasseurs on escort duty, one on foot and one mounted. Both wearing green breeches.

And those Osprey pics are from 1806. So if you want the earlier look, go with the green. For Borodino and later, probably the deerskin from all we can see. Many of the Chaussers in the paintings have their pelisses over their shoulder and the deerskin trousers.

The Cent Jours website has all squadrons in green trousers. I believe that the ' duty' squadron providing escort to his majesty would be the same uniform as it is the same regiment.

This was the uniform I used for my Ligny project although I had some senior regiment officers in deerskin for a comparison. Of course apart from protection duties the regiment was not employed at Ligny.

C M Dodson wrote:Just a thought, but you have posted some super pictures Mr Fred. Lots of ideas spring to mind. Good work!

Chris

Indeed they are super pictures and after seeing them I think I want to paint those Italeri Chasseurs in scarlet pellisses and buckskin breeches and use them to surround my Napoleon (from the same set) just because they'll look good.

Because I like troops that look good. I like Scots Greys without oilskin covers obscuring their bearskins, British hussars in busbies, Highland officers wearing kilts on campaign and hussars charging into battle with pellisses on their shoulders and van dyking on their shabraques.

Actually I do already have one Chasseur a Cheval from that Italeri command set, I thought one of the staff officers might make a half decent Bessiers, in the uniform of Colonel of the Chasseurs a Cheval of the Guard:

Graeme wrote:Indeed they are super pictures and after seeing them I think I want to paint those Italeri Chasseurs in scarlet pellisses and buckskin breeches and use them to surround my Napoleon (from the same set) just because they'll look good.